Make the computer easier to see

Applies to Windows 7

If you occasionally have trouble seeing items on your screen, you can adjust the settings to make text and images on the screen appear larger, improve the contrast between items on the screen, and hear on-screen text read aloud.

Open the Make the computer easier to see page by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Ease of Access, clicking Ease of Access Center, and then clicking Make the computer easier to see.

Select the options that you want to use:

Choose a High Contrast theme. This option allows you to set a high-contrast color scheme that heightens the color contrast of some text and images on your computer screen, making those items more distinct and easier to identify.

Turn on or off High Contrast when Left Alt+Left Shift+Print Screen is pressed. This option allows you to toggle a high-contrast theme on or off by pressing the Left Alt+Left Shift+Print Screen keys.

Turn on Narrator. This option sets Narrator to run when you log on to your computer. Narrator reads aloud on-screen text and describes some events (such as error messages appearing) that happen while you're using the computer. For more information about using Narrator, see Hear text read aloud with Narrator.

Turn on Audio Description. This option sets Audio Descriptions to run when you log on to your computer. Audio Descriptions describe what's happening in videos.

Turn on Magnifier. This option sets Magnifier to run when you log on to your computer. Magnifier enlarges the part of the screen where the mouse is pointing and can be especially useful for viewing objects that are difficult to see. For more information about using Magnifier, see Make items on the screen appear bigger (Magnifier).

Adjust the color and transparency of the window borders. This option allows you to change the appearance of window borders to make them easier to see.